ARE Connections

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ARE Connections

Note from ARE Connections Coordinator: 

Hi, I’m Kallyn, and I’m a recent VT grad (go Hokies) and AIA CoVA EP! After graduation I knew I wanted to prioritize studying and taking the AREs, so I set a study plan and gave myself one year knock them out. The roadmap on this page is a collection of resources that I found (some that I used and some that I didn’t), and other notes and thoughts from brain dumps throughout my study process. I hope this can be an outline for other potential licensees looking for a jumping off point or just a supportive study community to connect with. Best of luck and happy studying, you’ve got this!

START HERE

1.Create an NCARB record to log AXP (architecture experience hours) and sign up for exams

2. In your NCARB record, request eligibility under the ‘Exams’ tab

3. Go to https://www.dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/APELS/
             - Fill out the paper application, and mail with the required fee to the address listed
            
4. Complete the DPOR exam for VA license (don’t stress this, ‘exam’ sounds heavy but it’s mostly another form to fill out)
             - Will be sent to you by DPOR after receipt of your application, fee, and references

 5. Sign up for AIA to track CEUs (will start out as an associate)
              - AIA CoVA (local) – AIA Coastal Virginia - Home Page 
              - AIA Virginia - AIA Virginia

GENERAL STUDY RESOURCES

  • Black Spectacles (mainly videos, notes, flashcards, and practice exams)

  • NCARB Discussion Boards

  • NCARB’s ARE Guidelines doc

  • NCARB practice exams (accessed through your NCARB account and FREE)

  • ARE Live (produced by Black Specs) podcast on spotify / YouTube

  • More practice questions, some free, some paid: ARE Exam Prep | NCARB ARE 5.0 Practice by Elif Bayram

STRATEGY

Below was my approach to taking the exams. Six total exams, split into two groups or tracks of similar content; I moved from track 1 to track 2, but I could see them being reversed depending on preferred focus:

* = SUPER helpful / more frequently used for study

TRACK 1 - Contract focus (architect’s project responsibilities)

Practice Management
(Study Time ~15 hrs per week, over ~6 weeks) 

  • Resources

    • AHPP *
    • AIA Contracts (A101, A102, B101) *
    • Michael Hanahan Contract Lectures (print out contracts and take notes while you listen) https://www.pe... *
    • Linsey Patton's ARE Study Guide Podcast
    • areSUCCESShub youtube videos

Project Management
(Study time ~12 hrs per week, over ~8 weeks)

  • Resources 

    • AHPP *
    • AIA Contracts (A101, A102, B101) *
    • Michael Hanahan Contract Lectures (print out contracts and take notes while you listen) *
    • Linsey Patton's ARE Study Guide Podcast
    • areSUCCESShub youtube videos

Construction and Evaluation
(Study time ~10 hrs per week, over ~6 weeks)

  • Resources

    • AHPP *
    • AIA Contracts (A101, A102, B101, G series [general knowledge of which is which]) *
    • Specifications (CSI format, general knowledge of order and what each section covers)
    • Building Codes Illustrated
    • IBC
    • A117 (general knowledge of ADA building block requirements) - Chapter 3: Clear Floor or Ground Space and Turning Space (access-board.gov) (helpful images)

    Wild Cards

    Knowledge of construction processes/observations made during field work would be good background for some of the content on this exam (maybe 25%), so can be a bit of gamble to take this one w/o that experience - need to have a very solid understanding of the architect's responsibilities during CA, what falls on the contractor instead, spec divisions, and code basics

TRACK 2 - Design focus (code requirements, MEP and structural systems integration)

Programming and Analysis
(Study time ~15hrs per week, over ~9 weeks)

  • Resources

    • Architect’s Handbook for Professional Practice (AHPP)
    • AIA Contracts ((A101, A102, B101, baseline knowledge of architect's services, if PcM/PjM/CE already taken then no worries here)
    • Site Planning and Design Handbook *
    • Secretary of Interior's Standards for Historic Properties
    • Architect's Studio Companion (good design rules of thumb, mechanical & structural systems, accessibility req's) *
    • Problem Seeking: an Architectural Programming Primer
    • Building Construction Illustrated (site and renewable energy portions)
    • IBC (sections 3, 5, 6, 7, 10) *
    • A117 (more detailed ADA requirements)
    • Soil types and characteristics - https://transportation.org/technical-training-solutions/wp-content/uploads/sites/64/2023/02/AT-TC3CN025-18-T1-JA03-11.pdf 
    • Some PPD info (mechanical systems, structural systems, material properties), black specs PPD videos offer good overlap here
    • material embodied energy - EPiC Database (unimelb.edu.au) 

Wild Cards

Sheer amount of information to cover - big jump from the contract focused exams, need to devote more time to studying

Significant exam focus on "hotspot" questions; need to be able to analyze site / given program req's and answer more open-ended questions

Project Planning and Design
(Study time ~15 hrs per week, over ~9 weeks)

Resources

  • AHPP
  • AIA Contracts (A101, A102, B101)
  • Building Construction Illustrated *
  • IBC (sections 3, 5, 6, 10) *
  • A117 (general knowledge of ADA building block requirements)
  • Architectural Graphic Standards
  • Secretary of Interior's Standards for Historic Properties
  • Architect's Studio Companion *
  • FEMA 454 Chapters 4, 5, 8, 9
  • Fundamentals of Building Construction
  • General structures review (uniform and point loads)
  • Free amberbook youtube vids (for systems specifically) - Amber Book - YouTube
  • Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings *
  • Building Codes Illustrated *
  • Some PDD black specs overlap (MEP and structural systems)

Wild Cards

MANY different system example references that you need to be able to compare the pros/cons of and apply to different design scenarios; specifically mechanical HVAC system types and different structural systems/span capabilities

Also consistent handful of seemingly "random" questions about obscure systems / other discipline design knowledge that are not possible to plan ahead for (without truly reading every single word of reference material...) so expect some process of elimination and "best educated guess" type questions.

Project Development and Documentation
(Study time, ~18 hrs per week, ~6 weeks)

Resources

  • Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings *
  • AHPP *
  • AIA Contracts (A101, A102, B101)
  • Specifications (CSI divisions, mostly through div 14, and what is covered in each; helpful to read through specs on any current projects to better understand where elements are covered, as well as memorizing what each division is titled) *
  • Architectural Graphic Standards
  • Building Construction Illustrated (lots of obscure info pulled from this one) *
  • Buildings Codes Illustrated (essentially info from the IBC presented in a graphic form, helpful when IBC language is to ambiguous)
  • IBC
  • A117 (general knowledge of ADA building block requirements)
  • Free amberbook youtube vids (for systems specifically) - Amber Book - YouTube
  • Karin's PPD and PDD review sheet (an extremely well thought out and comprehensive study guide, SUPER helpful in quick review and finding major holes in study material) - PPD/PDD Summary Sheets *
  • Recommend getting through the PPD material first, even if studying for both together; PPD touches a little bit of everything at a high level, PDD is a deeper dive.

Wild Cards

Similar content to PPD, but much more specific and detailed info that would be hard to truly prepare for and study all of, given the amount of reference material; necessary to have a solid base in the PPD material that you can use to make "educated guesses" if necessary to work out the solution. Also brings back some contractual responsibilities of architect vs contractor, so expect understanding of this line to be woven into questions regarding design decisions.

Kallyn Maddox
Architecture Designer, Clark Nexsen
ARE Connections Coordinator, AIA Coastal Virginia
[email protected]

                    

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